Over the past couple of generations, we’ve slowly pushed aside organ meats and other odd bits of the animal by the way side. Really, it’s a shame as I’ve learned from Jennifer McLagan’s book, Odd Bits, that if prepared correctly organ meats can be enjoyed and something to look forward to.

Not only are they a concentrated source of nutrients but they’re economical as well. That alone is very important especially to those of us living on a stricter budget.

It does go to say, however, since organ meats cleanse the body and keep it functioning well, it’s important that they are sourced locally from animals raised sustainably on pasture.

It’s only then that the animals organ meats will be filled with the vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats needed to nourish our bodies.

For my Odd Bits post I decided to do something a bit different with marrow bones. I usually add marrow bones to my beef broth, soup, or pot of beans to give it added flavor, nutrients, and gelatin.

I kept to a traditional recipe, however, with the added addition of marrow it made this flan filled with wholesome fats and protein plus vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorous, B-Vitamins, Vitamin K and Vitamin A.

In order to keep this custard more economical, I used 3 whole eggs versus the standard 6 egg yolks.

It made the custard a bit lighter, however, in the Spring time when the girls start laying their eggs in abundance I’ll opt for the thicker, creamier custard made with 6 yolks.

The marrow blended well with the flavor and texture. The children enjoyed it as well and for me, that makes this recipe a keeper!

Diana Bauman

Diana is a mother of three, proud wife, and humbled daughter of God. She finds the most joy meeting with Jesus in her organic gardens where she’s able to witness his hand of creation. She is completely blessed to be able to call herself a stay at home mom where she home educates her children, joyfully serves her husband, and cooks simple, economical food to nourish her family. As a Latina and first generation American, she is prideful of her heritage and enjoys spending some of her summers abroad in Spain visiting her family. She loves connecting with people on facebook, google+, pinterest, and instagram.

Mmmmm…looks delicious! I’m doing a Whole30 right now so I can’t eat this but hopefully soon! I started loving marrow after I had it the classic way: melted and salted on toast with parsley. It is LUSCIOUS!

I'm Diana – mother of three, proud wife, and daughter to an amazing God. Here you'll find an encouraging community of like minded mothers, fathers, and everyone in between seeking to nourish our families with good, simple food. You'll find us in our gardens, foraging, canning, preserving and enjoying a simple life.